Preparation and tribological properties of Fe-hydroxyapatite bioceramics

Pigmented tooth enamel is generally composed of iron-containing hydroxyapatite (Fe-HA), and thus exhibits high hardness and good wear resistant. In this study, Fe-HA powders were synthesized using ultrasonic-assisted microwave hydrothermal method and the tribological properties of the Fe-HA ceramics were evaluated, aiming to explore the improvement effect of iron element on the wear resistance of nano-hydroxyapatite. The influence of Fe content on the phase composition, crystal structure and morphology of Fe-HA powders were characterized by various microscopy characterizations. Results showed that the Fe content had a substantial influence on the morphology and crystal structure of Fe-HA powders. Compared with the pure HA ceramic, the prepared Fe-HA ceramics showed obviously better wear resistance.